The invention relates generally to turbo machines such as turbines or compressors, and more particularly, to a turbo machine rotor including a rotor wheel capable of carrying and spacing one or more stages of rotor blades. The rotor wheel is formed using a metal powder as a starting material, and processed using powder metallurgy techniques.
Turbo machines such as turbines and compressors include a rotor, which further includes a rotating shaft with a plurality of axially spaced rotor wheels mounted thereon. Typically, each rotor wheel holds one stage of blades, with the blades mechanically coupled to each rotor wheel and arranged in rows extending circumferentially around each rotor wheel. The axially spaced rotor wheels are typically joined to one another by bolting or welding. These features result in rotors having heavy weights, increased start times, and complex joints. Rotors may also require a spacer rotor wheel to be bolted or welded between each of the plurality of rotor wheels to provide proper spacing between blade stages. Alternatively, rotor wheels have been formed from a single steel monoblock forging, which has limited ranges of operating temperatures and tensile strengths.